The Art Council of Tuscaloosa will host Art Talk Tuesday, a free lecture, at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center on Aug. 25 from 12 to 1 p.m. The event will be presented by current exhibiting artist, Jim Harrison III, a native of Tuscaloosa and owner of Harrison Galleries-Fine Art and Photography.

Kevin Ledgewood, publicist for the Art Council, said Art Talk Tuesday began in June with artist Lorrie Lane’s exhibit, “Manufactured Optimism”. To accompany her exhibit, Lane presented the idea of a lecture/demonstration for the Tuscaloosa community. The lecture was such a success, the Arts Council has offered each subsequent artist the option to participate in the event during their exhibit dates. 

“We want the artist to be able to discuss their work, their motivation, techniques and a little bit of the story behind their exhibit,” Ledgwood said. “The more individual artists are given the opportunity to speak about their work in a public forum, they are able to make a deeper and broader connection with the public at large, which is always a great thing for the arts community as a whole.”

Active in the West Alabama arts community for many years, Harrison served as chairman of the Alabama State Council on the Arts in 2012-2013. He runs his gallery in Downtown Tuscaloosa in the same building that once housed his grandfather’s drug store. 

Harrison’s exhibit of photographs, “The Berlin Wall Series” will continue through Aug. 28. Harrison said his exhibit came spur of the moment when he was vacationing with his wife through Berlin in 2006 and came upon a remnant of the Berlin Wall. In 42 frames, Harrison captured history and preserved the work of countless unnamed artists.

Ledgewood said he hopes people take away from the event that art and artists are accessible and by glimpsing into the creative process of other individuals, people can get ideas for their own creative processes. Ledgewood said he sees a bright future for events like this. 

“Most of the presenting artists seem very enthusiastic about the opportunity to speak to others about their personal experiences, struggles and triumphs,” he said.

The Art Council encourages patrons to bring both a friend and lunch. The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For information about The Arts Council or Cultural Arts Center, visit tuscarts.org.